It wasn't about robots taking over creativity; it was about technology becoming a new paintbrush, accessible to anyone with a smartphone
Welcome to the age of AI-generated imagery, where artificial intelligence has quietly slipped from tech labs into our pockets and transformed how millions create, share and engage with visual content online. It isn't about robots taking over creativity; it's about technology becoming a new paintbrush, accessible to anyone with a smartphone.
From Ghibli-style portraits to emotional reunions with your younger self, what started as simple photo enhancement has evolved into a full-blown cultural phenomenon. Here's a look at the AI trends that captured the internet's imagination in 2025.
Ghibli effect and tiny dioramas
Studio Ghibli, the legendary Japanese animation house known for films like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, has a distinctive aesthetic: soft watercolour palettes, dreamy backgrounds that make the mundane feel magical. From celebrities to students, the trend exploded. Regular photographs, even just an apartment balcony, were turned into fairy tales.
Also Read: How Ghibli trend has become the unwitting tool for propaganda in New India
Similar trends continued, including the chibi-style 3D dioramas. AI transformed people into adorable anime-style characters with oversized heads and tiny bodies, then dropped them into elaborate, colourful miniature worlds.
Bollywood dreams and retro portraits
The trends were not limited to Japanese-style art. The grand old Bollywood also had its own spin. Feed the AI your selfie, and you emerge looking like you've stepped out of a classic film poster. Red chiffon sarees flooded Instagram, hair flowing in the breeze. Girls churned out their inner actresses, and even some boys took a chance on sarees.
If sarees alone are not retro enough, then ask AI to add faded colours, film grain, soft edges to make a perfect polaroid. In an era of crystal-clear smartphone cameras there is something about imperfections that makes moments perfect.
Toys, time travel, and celebrity encounters
Why would trends be limited to 2D images when AI can turn your selfie into a collectible-style action figure? The Nano Banana trend took over the internet, with even animals getting their own makeover. Why use a regular photo when you could look like a limited-edition toy?
Also Read: Google’s Gemini Nano Banana AI goes viral, generating 3D Figurines
And then came the trend that nobody expected to hit close to your heart: the "Hug My Younger Self" images. The idea is simple. Take a childhood photo and a current selfie, feed them to the AI, and it generates an image of you embracing your younger self. The AI handles lighting and scale, making two photos from different decades merge seamlessly. It was the emotions, however, that were core to this trend.
On the lighter end of the spectrum, AI has made celebrity selfies easy. No need to wait outside film studios or attend expensive events. It's just manifestation culture meeting technology: visualise your dream meeting, and AI makes it look real.
Sound meets algorithm
The visual revolution has an audio counterpart. AI-generated voices and songs are increasingly getting viral content across platforms. These aren't just background tracks anymore. They've become content themselves, with AI voices narrating jokes and memes. Politicians, celebrities, pets, wild animals and even inanimate objects, no one could escape the voiceovers.
Perhaps the most meta development of these are the virtual influencers running full social media accounts. These are entirely AI-generated characters, not real people, posting photos, writing captions, building followings, even landing brand collaborations.
The shadow side of innovation
These trends weren't free of controversies, concerns around copyright, job displacement, data privacy followed along. Where's the line between enhancement and fabrication? According to an NDTV survey, as much as 86 per cent of Indians said they believe "misinformation and deepfakes will impact future elections".
Also read: Govt proposes new IT rules for AI-generated content labelling
The technology will keep improving and the tools will become more sophisticated. This highlights the urgent need for regulation to protect privacy, prevent misuse and maintain trust online.
